(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 28. The Embassy ofTajikistan in Azerbaijan held a solemn reception in Baku tocelebrate one of the most significant holidays - Novruz, Trend reports.
The distinguished guests of the event were diplomats,ambassadors, artists, and cultural representatives.
The festive evening included an introduction to the nationaltraditions and customs of celebrating Novruz in Tajikistan.
The guests had the opportunity to enjoy colorful national dancesand listen to traditional music.
The Ambassador of Tajikistan to Azerbaijan Ilhom Abdurakhmonaddressed the guests with a speech.
"In these days, in many countries around the world, includingTajikistan and Azerbaijan, one of the oldest holidays of humanityis celebrated - Novruz. This holiday marks the arrival of spring,the equinox, and the rebirth of nature.
I want to emphasize that Novruz is widely celebrated in allcorners of Azerbaijan, and this event is treated with specialreverence, which is truly amazing. The Novruz holiday, which unitescommon traditions and is a manifestation of friendship andbrotherhood, is also celebrated in many countries around the world- from Central Asia to the Balkans.
For this reason, at the joint initiative of Azerbaijan, Iran,Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Türkiye,Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, the Novruz holiday was included inthe UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in2009, and in 2010, the UN General Assembly proclaimed March 21 asthe International Day of Novruz.
Our ancestors celebrated Novruz with great splendor 5,000 yearsago. Since ancient times, large public celebrations were heldduring Novruz. Preparation for the holiday was done in advance. Thestreets in villages and cities were cleaned and decorated. Festivemarkets and fairs were organized, and people danced and sang songson the streets. Traditional sports competitions such as horseracing, goat pulling (buzkashi), wrestling, and much more wereorganized.
Fortunately, these ancient traditions have been preserved andare still alive in Tajikistan. Novruz is traditionally accompaniedby public celebrations, festive processions, concerts, culinary andsports competitions, large fairs, and culminates in a spectacularfireworks display.
Men dress in traditional costumes and enthusiasticallyparticipate in races and other competitions, jumping over bonfires,while women dress in traditional chakan (the national Tajik dressdecorated with embroidery) and wear elegant tubeteikas (traditionalCentral Asian caps). One of the most beautiful and elegant girls ischosen as the princess of spring (Malikai Navruz), whocongratulates everyone on the holiday and the arrival of spring,treating guests to the main festive dish of Novruz, sumalak (wheatpudding). People dance and sing songs.
Moreover, two festive tables are set for Novruz: "haftseen" and"haftshin." "Seen" and "shin" are the names of the letters "s" and"sh" in the Persian alphabet, and "haft" means seven. Additionally,a mirror, candles, and colored eggs symbolizing light, beauty, andthe renewal of nature are placed on the table.
We have a lot in common when celebrating Novruz. However, eachnation has its own unique traditions and customs passed down fromgeneration to generation. I am serving as an ambassador toAzerbaijan for the first time, and from the very first days of mypresence in this beautiful country, I have encountered numerousdelightful customs. Among them is the celebration of Novruz, whichis one of the main holidays here.
One of the most fascinating things for me was the celebration ofthe four Tuesdays before Novruz, symbolizing the four elements ofnature: water, fire, air, and earth. These symbols reflect theorigin of Novruz, rooted in the lifestyle of our ancestors, andprovide a philosophical basis for the development of humanity. TheAzerbaijani people have managed to preserve traditions associatedwith celebrating Novruz.
In essence, Novruz calls on people to uphold equality,tolerance, friendliness, and forgiveness - qualities thatcontribute to peace and prosperity. And even in the 21st century,the century of technology, Novruz continues to be celebrated,enriching hearts, minds, and spiritually developing oursociety.
On this positive note, I once again congratulate everyone on theNovruz holiday and wish you good health, happiness, andprosperity!" The ambassador concluded.
The event continued with the performance of the talented singerJahongir Zaripov, who was specially invited to the celebration fromTajikistan. The guests were also treated to national dishes ofTajik cuisine: oshi palov (rice dish), sumanak (sweet paste madefrom young wheatgrass and wheat flour), mantu (a type of dumpling),sambusa (buns stuffed with meat and sometimes with vegetables), andchakchak (fried dough).
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